Brightwaters, New York
Brightwaters is a village of 3,179 people in Suffolk County, New York, founded in November 30, 1916.
Why visit Brightwaters
Townapedia lists 9 museums and landmarks, 18 parks and trails, 30 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Great South Bay Bridge, Sagtikos Manor, Bay Shore Hose Company No. 1 Firehouse and Gardiner County Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 83°F; January lows average 25°F.
Weather in Brightwaters
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Brightwaters
Brightwaters is an incorporated village located within the southwestern part of the Town of Islip in Suffolk County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 3,181 at the time of the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Brightwaters, New York (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Great South Bay Bridge
Bridge · 2.9 mi
Bridge in United States of America
Museums and landmarks9
Sagtikos Manor
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Historic house in New York, United States
677 West Montauk Highway, Bay Shore
Bay Shore Hose Company No. 1 Firehouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Fire station in Bay Shore, United States of America
Nathaniel Conklin House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Historic house in New York, United States
United States Post Office
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Government building in Bay Shore, New York
Wereholme
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
Historic house in New York, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds18
6 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes30
Coastal Kitchen & Daiquiri Bar
Bar and pub · Grill · 0.8 mi
12 East Main Street
Mo-Th 12:00-00:00; Fr-Sa 11:30-02:30; Su 11:30-00:00
Mulberry Street Bay Shore
Restaurant · Italian Pizza · 1.3 mi
192 Howells Road
Tu-Sa 11:00-20:30; Su 12:00-20:00
Chowdar Bar
Restaurant · Seafood · 1.1 mi
123 Maple Avenue, Bay Shore
Captain Bills Restaurant
Restaurant · Seafood · 1.1 mi
122 Ocean Avenue, Bay Shore
Deli By the Bay
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.0 mi
139 South Clinton Avenue, Bay Shore
18 more on the map.
History
Brightwaters was developed in the early 20th Century by the T.B. Ackerson Company, which was known for its work in Brooklyn.
By 1916, locals felt that their community – which, at the time, was still an unincorporated part of the Town of Islip – would be better off if they were to incorporate it as a village, citing concerns over how their community was being taxed, and how they had to pay for private subscriptions for services which they believed should have been provided to the area by Islip through their taxes. This prompted the locals to sign a petition to incorporate Brightwaters as a village. The petition was given to the Town of Islip on September 20, 1916, and Brightwaters officially became an incorporated village on November 30 of that year.
From the History section of Brightwaters, New York on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship13
Bay Shore Methodist Episcopal Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
First Congregational Church of Bay Shore
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Gospel Lighthouse Pentecostal Church
Church · Pentecostal · 1.0 mi
49 Brook Street, Bay Shore
Love & Mercy Fellowship
Church · Pentecostal · 0.4 mi
1420 Union Boulevard, Bay Shore
Saint Patrick's Roman Catholic Church
Church · Catholic · 0.5 mi
6 North Clinton Avenue, Bay Shore
Jewish Center of Bay Shore
Place of worship · 0.4 mi
34 North Clinton Avenue, Bay Shore
Shopping6
Gas and EV charging5
Schools, colleges and libraries45
Healthcare1
Map of Brightwaters
130 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39°F | 25°F | 2.7 in |
| Feb | 41°F | 26°F | 2.0 in |
| Mar | 48°F | 33°F | 3.5 in |
| Apr | 58°F | 42°F | 3.6 in |
| May | 68°F | 51°F | 3.2 in |
| Jun | 77°F | 61°F | 3.5 in |
| Jul | 83°F | 68°F | 3.0 in |
| Aug | 82°F | 67°F | 3.2 in |
| Sep | 75°F | 60°F | 3.7 in |
| Oct | 64°F | 48°F | 3.4 in |
| Nov | 53°F | 38°F | 2.9 in |
| Dec | 44°F | 31°F | 3.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Farmingdale Ap (8 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Suffolk County has had 25 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2024-10-21: Severe Storm And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2024-08-25: Severe Storm And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2023-03-15: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm (Snowstorm)
- 2021-09-05: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida (Hurricane)
- 2021-09-02: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida (Hurricane)
- 2021-08-22: Hurricane Henri (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Republic Airport (FRG) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 8 miles away.
- Bay Shore 1 mi northeast, about 2 min by car
- West Islip 2 mi southwest, about 3 min by car
- Islip 3 mi east, about 4 min by car
- North Bay Shore 3 mi north, about 5 min by car
- Baywood 3 mi northwest, about 5 min by car
- North Babylon 3 mi west, about 6 min by car
- Babylon 4 mi southwest, about 6 min by car
- East Islip 4 mi east, about 6 min by car
- Deer Park 4 mi northwest, about 7 min by car
- West Babylon 5 mi west, about 8 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- 76 West side Brightwaters Canal, Brightwaters, NY 1979, Downtowngal, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 76 Concourse East and Shore Dr, Brightwaters, NY 1979, Downtowngal, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sagtikos Manor from Driveway, DanTD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bay Shore Hose Company No. 1 Firehouse, Doug Kerr from Upstate New York, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Bay Shore 1st Congregational Church; Union Blvd & First St, DanTD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bay Shore Methodist Episcopal Church Mar 10, Doug Kerr from Upstate New York, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wereholme; Harold Weeks Estate-1, DanTD, CC BY-SA 4.0
- U.S. Post Office Bay Shore NY Mar 10, Doug Kerr from Upstate New York, CC BY-SA 2.0
- GreatSouth-B-B, Intelligentlove at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- 78 Friendly's Ice Cream on Main Street, Bay Shore NY 1979, Downtowngal, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 72 Forum Diner at night, Bay Shore NY 1979, Downtowngal, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 72 Loehmanns Bay Shore, NY 1979, Downtowngal, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 74 Seafield Lane at Main Street Bay Shore NY 1979, Downtowngal, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 74 Main Street and Forum Diner, Bay Shore NY 1979, Downtowngal, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 72 Bay Shore Public Library, Bay Shore NY 1979, Downtowngal, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mexicoke, Aiah17trever, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 78 Bay Shore St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church and cinema, Downtowngal, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 79 Bay Shore Cinema, Main St, Bay Shore NY 1979, Downtowngal, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 81 Midtown Automotive Union Blvd Bay Shore NY 1979, Downtowngal, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 81 Lumber Union Boulevard Bay Shore NY 1979, Downtowngal, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 81 Casa Befi, Bay Shore, NY 1979, Downtowngal, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Greetings from Bay Shore, Long Island, New York - Large Letter Postcard (4717392660), Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 81 Bay Shore Taxi, Bay Shore NY 1979, Downtowngal, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 75 Amvets Post 76 on Main Street, Bay Shore, NY 1979, Downtowngal, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 81 Railroad crossing Bay Shore NY 1979, Downtowngal, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 75 Stamp and hobby shop, Bay Shore, NY 1979, Downtowngal, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 75 24 W Main Street, Bay Shore, NY 1979, Downtowngal, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 81 Buildings near the RR station, Bay Shore NY 1979, Downtowngal, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 81 Bay Shore Hotel Restaurant Bar 1979, Downtowngal, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 75 Shore Drug, Main Street, Bay Shore NY 1979, Downtowngal, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 75 Bay Shore Furs, Bay Shore, NY 1979, Downtowngal, CC BY-SA 4.0
- At Brazil 2018 24, Photograph by Mike Peel ( www.mikepeel.net )., CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bay Shore Post Office - March 2025, lostplanetcomics1, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 78 Level Crossing of LIRR, Bay Shore, NY 1979, Downtowngal, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 75 948 Gardiner Drive, West Bay Shore, NY 1979, Downtowngal, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 75 964 Manor Lane, West Bay Shore, NY 1979, Downtowngal, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 79 House at Burnett and Bayview, Bay Shore, NY, Downtowngal, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 79 Bayview Ave from Burnett, Bay Shore, NY 1979, Downtowngal, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 73 2nd Avenue at the RR tracks, Bay Shore, NY 1979, Downtowngal, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 78 Gospel Lighthouse Pentecostal Church, Bay Shore NY 1979, Downtowngal, CC BY-SA 4.0
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